Twinkle and Luna left the two baby Nifflers in the room as they walked down the halls of the Wiltshire Manor. With its master asleep (and in order to avoid his reactions to her poking her head around rooms she shouldn"t), Luna hoped to take a better look at the interior.
Most rooms looked like they hadn"t been touched in ages, with rusty doorknobs and dusty door frames with carved designs. At some point, there must have been many guests occupying the many many guest bedrooms and sitting rooms around the top floor, but now, the only guests were the balls of dust rolling about the corners of the corridors and the bunched up threads of wool on the corners of the carpets.
This manor was far larger inside than Luna recalled it to be.
In one corridor, there were dozens of portraits on the walls: some covered by tarp and other hanging up many feet above her. Each portrait was connected by a silver thread depicting the relations of all the members of the Noble House of Malfoy. Near the bottom was a face she recognized before she read the name.
Long blond locks draped over two broad shoulders of a fair faced young man with a sharp expression. He was very handsome and had a determined expression with a boyish twinkle in his light grey eyes.
«Mr Malfoy is so handsome here,» Luna whispered.
«This he be. The wedding picture.» Twinkle nodded.
To his side was a portrait of who Luna could assume was his former wife. Of course, she was sure Twinkle was instructed over and under to never reveal the portrait to anyone, but Luna was very curious and persistent herself.
«His wife must not have looked well at her wedding,» she said sadly.
«No no! Look look!» Twinkle"s eyes popped open wide and she dragged Luna by the skirt to stand closer to the picture. Yanking down white fabric, there was Narcissa Black-Malfoy herself.
Narcissa was possibly the most beautiful woman Luna had ever seen. She was very young here, perhaps her own age, and she looked like a precious china doll, the kind one stores away in a glass case and treasures. Even young she had large and sad brown eyes with long lashes. Her lips were pouted and red like a rose and pursed with not a single wrinkle or fold on her porcelain skin, so thin Luna could see the veins on it. She had black and blonde streaks in her thick hair that was tied up in neat ringlets above her head. Even though she looked aristocratic, she did not have the same vivacious and lively glow her husband"s portrait had. A tad too stern and serious she was.
«Missy Narcissy,» Twinkle said dreamily, her voice cracking. «Perfect Missy.»
Perfect.
Luna felt a twinge in her heart. «Mr Malfoy must have loved her very much.»
«Oh he do, he do.»
«He must miss her terribly,» Luna said.
When Narcissa Malfoy died, nobody had written much about the circumstances of her passing in the papers-only that it was a terrible accident and the family would like to keep the circumstances of her death between them and the Malfoys" private Healer. «How did she come to pass?»
«Missy Narcissy is so cold, too wet.»
Luna nodded. «She was in the rose garden that day,» she whispered, understanding.
«Missy like rose. Master say to Missy Narcissy no go. Missy do what she like.»
«And Mr Malfoy was too late to help.»
«Master try. Try so much.» Twinkle wiped a tear from her big elf eyes and blew her nose on her rag-dress. «Twinkle is no good. Twinkle is no help. Twinkle must put fingers in the door.»
«No, please.» Luna cried. «You won"t be able to help Master if you have no working fingers.»
Twinkle blew her nose and looked lovingly at Narcissa"s portrait. At that moment, Luna too felt a deep longing in her heart-a great and terrible sadness. She too had lost her own mother to a terrible accident and her father had taken a long time to get over the grief of her passing. She instantly felt terribly sorry for Mr Malfoy. How terrible it must have been for him to go through the loss of his dear wife, and likely all alone (for she knew from Lucius" letters his son had been away from the Manor for many years). Even worse, Mr Malfoy must have thought her passing was his own fault-that he had somehow not acted quick enough to save her as she came back to the Manor, drenched and soaked to the bone.
And no wonder he had not wanted her to touch the rose gardens. That place on the grounds had carried a very significant meaning to him, it had been the very final place his late wife had treasured. Luna should have thought to ask, but in her excitement to change the Manor to her liking, she"d instantly forgotten. He had given her endless creative freedom and she took advantage of it.
Well now it seemed terrible that she wanted to leave him alone in his large, empty Manor again. Perhaps something could still be done to add some warmth to the place. Make the house feel like home again.
«Mrs Malfoy did well in running the Manor?» she asked.
«Missy Narcissy know everything. Decorate. Serve food. Dress. Set.» Twinkle sighed. «Missy Narcissy is perfect Missy.»
«You knew her better than anyone in the manor.» Luna knelt down and smiled kindly at the Elf.
«Yes. Twinkle serve Missy and Master one year, more year, more year, more year...» Twinkle stammered, counting out her fingers. «Mostest year!» She finally cried, as her ten fingers were not enough to showcase the years of service.
«Then you can help me for sure. You must know how Mrs Malfoy liked to run the Manor."
«Yes. Twinkle do!»
Luna smiled, an idea forming in her mind. «Master Malfoy liked the way the Manor was before?»
Twinkle nodded, a mischievous glimmer was in her elvish eye-one Miss Lovegood did not catch. «Perfect home. perfect Missy. Only perfect Missy knowing.»
-x-x-x-x
It was late afternoon when Lucius rolled to his side. It took him a while to fall asleep these days: he stayed up listening to the sounds of the footsteps in the corridors. At one point, he heard Miss Lovegood and Twinkle exiting the guest room-likely to go to the lavatories.
He had been a fair bit too harsh on the young woman in the morning.
How was she to know that his late wife, before her passing had spent all her time in those bloody gardens? Her pride and joy. And her husband and son? Bah! The only way she"d pay attention to them would be if they"d had become roses themselves.
He did not want Miss Lovegood in those gardens just as well. He knew what sort of effects roses had on women and was not about to let his newest Mistress be enchanted by their whims. Were it his will, he would have burned the entire garden down, but his foot did not lift itself to enter the cursed place lest he be struck down by...nostalgia.
If Miss Lovegood had talked about anything else -anything but the roses. If she didn"t mention those bloody things at all. He grasped his forehead. He"d have to send Twinkle for a Headache Potion. Or perhaps now, he"d have to start brewing them himself, lest Miss Lovegood felt brewing was not above elvish freedom. One thing was certain: woman-dead, or alive, or the size of a vase-were the bane of his existence.
But again, this young woman was not to blame. Perhaps he should give her the benefit of the doubt. Miss Lovegood was likely only trying her best with the limited information she had.
Miss Lovegood was his guest and had gladly agreed to run his Manor and make things around the home feel like...like home again. And for such a low price? Her having a room in the home, some food on the table and a few acres of ground for her beasts. She was the perfect low maintenance mistress of Malfoy manor. He"d be a fool to lose her to his sour temper.
He needed to get himself together and make it up to her somehow. Perhaps with... a gift or a sign of his animosity.
What she would like best was perhaps a large place for her indoor creatures. The only place big enough for that would be the dreaded great dining hall. With any luck, Miss Lovegood"s magic would certainly transform the place into something livable.
Yes, that would do it.
Lucius rose from the bed and summoned over his socks and his shoes and his robes. With his serpent walking cane in hand, he strode to the door. He had work to do. As he exited his room, his heart nearly sank into the pits of his stomach.
The walls had become darker and more vibrant, with the Malfoy crested wallpaper now an even deeper shade of green against the freshly cleaned emerald curtains. The statues were polished and the windows were open again letting a spring breeze drift into the corridors. Lucius wobbled, losing balance and toppling against the wall.
What had Miss Lovegood done now?
He had nearly forgotten his apology when he saw she had removed the covers off the furniture his wife"s relatives sent on to him after their marriage and he had definitely forgotten his goodwill when he noticed Narcissa"s room open and Miss Lovegood and Twinkle setting the bed just the way she had liked it. unable to suppress all emotion, he bellowed:
«What in the Calderon have you done!» Cane in the air. «Stop, stop, stop! Don"t touch anything!»
Miss Lovegood nearly dropped her wand and Twinkle cowered in fear and snuck under the bed.
«I can explain,» Miss Lovegood said calmly. «Take a deep breath»
Lucius had rushed into the room, Miss Lovegood and Twinkle moved fast enough to run out into the corridor before Lucius waved his wand...resetting everything as it had been when Narcissa passed in that very bed last year and then, shut the door behind him. He glared at the two from above, his grey eyes gleaming dangerously.
«Explain.» His voice dropped dangerously low. «Explain why the Manor looks like it did after my wedding night and why you were rearranging Mrs Malfoy"s room as though she would soon lie in that blasted bed.» He cornered Twinkle. «You! Wretched beastie! it is all your doing!»
«Master! I think you be happy-»
«Silence.»
Grabbing Twinkle by the dress with the tip of his snake cane, he yanked her cowering figure from behind Miss Lovegood by the ear. She had just enough time to step in and cry, «I did it! Asked Twinkle to help. Let her go.»
«-I will do no such thing-»
«-she is my elf, is she not?» Miss Lovegood said sternly. This did make Lucius breath out slowly and let go of Twinkle. The elf ran into the shadows of the curtain and dissipated, but not before smiling and cackling in a satisfied way.
«Why would you do such an unthinkable act?» Lucius snarled, staring daggers at Miss Lovegood.
She hung her head. «Because I thought it would please you.»
«How is this to please me?» He waved his sleeve at the Manor that looked precisely the same as it had the moment Draco was still a boy and his late wife was the Mistress of Malfoy Manor. Bile stood in his throat as he remembered all the unpleasant memories of the last years of their marriage, the misery of being alone in this giant manor, the echoing silence and the dreary coldness of the place.
«This is how Mrs Malfoy did it.» Miss Lovegood said. «Ran the manor.»
Lucius sighed. «I invited you to the Manor so that you could run it how you saw fit. That was my offer.»
She crossed her arms. «When I did just that you raised your voice at me. Twinkle said Mrs Malfoy was the perfect mistress and she ran the house exactly how you liked. You told me not to change your gardens or your statues or her roses!»
Lucius waved his hands in the air. «Her roses. Her roses. Cauldron? Did the blasted creature tell you all my secrets?!»
«It was important-»
«-if it were important I would have mentioned it.»
«Perhaps you should have also mentioned that you did not like my creatures. Then why did you offer me your manor if that wasn"t the case?»
Lucius closed his eyes and exhaled, reminding himself of his long awaited retirement to the Spanish beaches if he could leave the Manor peacefully to Miss Lovegood.
«I like your creatures. I like your changes.» Lucius hissed through his teeth, forcing a smile. «I like all that you do Miss Lovegood.»
When he opened his eyes, he noticed Miss Lovegood was trembling ever so slighty and her eyes were watery.
«I-I don"t think t-that"s true,» she whispered. A small tear trickled down her cheek. She was crying, or at the very least trying very hard not to.
At that moment, he truly felt himself a villain. Miss Lovegood had every reason to be afraid and upset at him. Had he not himself told her that he wanted the manor changed to her liking and then criticized her every move? She had come all this way and had made all these changes just to please him. She had so graciously agreed to take good care of his land for a very minimal price. And of course, to make it known she wanted to stay in the Manor with her beasties. She must feel herself a duped fool.
Now he had extinguished her desire to be his low maintenance mistress for certain. But how was he to know that her sudden interference with the manor would make all sorts of unpleasant memories rise up in his? Nostalgia be damned.
The road to his personal hell was paved by Miss Lovegood"s good intentions.
Still his heart softened and he reached his hand over, tilting her quivering chin up to meet his gaze . No matter how devilishly angry he felt at that moment, he really did not like to make women cry. Least of all, Miss Lovegood who was thrice his junior and overall, not a vicious person.
«It is true.»
«Narcissa Malfoy was the perfect Mistress.»
«Come now, my dove, we shalln"t have this argument.» Tenderly at first, he took her by the shoulder, and when he felt her sinking softly against his grip, he led her up the stairs.
«There is something I"d like to show you.»
«What is it?»
«You"ll see.»
He pushed open the doors to the giant showcase room in the small hall, the one where he used to keep his many many artifacts (now long sold off). «Look.»
Miss Lovegood shook her head, lashes blinking fast. «I don"t understand.»
«Look closely.» He gestured to the case.
Miss Lovegood walked around the room and pressed her nose onto one of the glass cases. Then she went silent. «Is that... are those my treasures?»
She walked around the hall from one case to the next, looking inside each one with equal childish glee. Treasures from all of her travels that she sent him: dragon bones from Romania and buttons from the Netherlands and stones from Australia and amulets and runes from south Africa. Finally she turned to Lucius, her red cheeks raised up with joy and her dried tears leaving little sticky patched on her skin. «You"ve kept them.»
«Each and every one.» Lucius nodded proudly. «My most valued possessions!"
«Oh,» she gushed running up to him, overcome by emotion, and threw her arms around him. «I can"t believe you"ve kept them.»
Lucius had not been touched-not like that-in a long time. Stiffening, he exhaled and forced a smile before gently peeling himself away.
«Did you expect any less of me? Lucius said, a theatrical pout forming on his lips. «I"m hurt Miss Lovegood.»
«Please please, don"t be. It fills me with so much joy to see you"ve kept them.» She smiled. «It"s just that I"ve expected you to have thrown them into the rubbish like all my other friends had.»
«I am not like all those other friends.» Lucius chided her with a mischievous wink and a pat on the head. «Do you expect me to give out the key to my manor to just anyone?»
«No of course not.»
«Because you are special, Miss Lovegood. I chose you for a reason.» He said, gently tapping her nose. «And you musn"t forget it.»
Miss Lovegood wiped her nose. «Now I feel silly for getting worked up.»
«Truly?»
«You were generous and I showed up unannounced.»
«Nonsense. You are perfect,» he croaked out. «Perfect for the role. It is I who was the very definition of unaccommodating.»
«You were good to me.»
«Let"s say we start over.»
«I agree.»
«We let bygones be bygones.»
«I should have asked you what your vision was of the manor,» she said, blushing. «I should have taken your opinion into consideration.»
«Listen closely,» Lucius directed, wagging his finger. «I do not want the manor to look like the late Mrs Malfoy"s legacy. I want it to be filled with color and light. I want to see trinkets and treasures on all the tables-just like the ones in this room-and plants and creatures of all kinds outdoors.»
«You do? I thought you didn"t take well to Pippin and Pop?»
Lucius forced a smile. «I simply have not gotten to know them yet. I am sure that in time I will learn to love their charming antics.»
This pleased the young woman. «Oh you will love them! They are the sweetest creatures and so full of energy!»
«This I am sure of! And to make up for my terrible attitude, perhaps you will consider a lowly gift. I have long been looking to remodel the great dining hall...perhaps into a sort of playgrounds for the Nifflers.»
Miss Lovegood all but melted in joyous raptures. «Oh Pop and Pippin would love that! Their own spot to climb and play!»
She began rambling on about all the climbers and ropes and tunnels she"d enchant their for the rascals and Lucius only hoped he had made the right choice in giving her so much creative freedom.
At least she was now going to be far away from the darned roses.
-xxx-
Twinkle the elf waited for a very long time in hiding. She waited to hear the roaring of her Master"s voice and the slamming of the front doors and Missy Corn Girl gone for good.
Her little plan was going to work perfectly. Once Master Malfoy saw how silly Missy Corn Girl looked beside the perfect Missy Narcissy-he"d throw her out in shame. It would all go back to the way it was before. Soon she"d be back to serving crumpets and scones to Master Malfoy and polishing his boots.
This new Missy was best described in one word: stupid!
A room for a house-elf? A wardrobe for a house-elf? What an stupid thing that was?! Although Twinkle thought it would
be nice to have some new knickers that didn"t itch and scratch and a dress that was clean...she could make do with what she had. like all elves before her did! She shouldn"t be so fussy.
It would have been nice to not be kicked around by Master Malfoy too often. It left her feeling quite sore. But that was the way it had always been between masters and elves. She was used to it because that"s what her mother had told her life was like.
Change was not good. So these new rooms and wardrobes were signs of something worst yet to come.
So she waited for Master Malfoy to agree with her and send the stupid girl away.
However, she did not hear any of the above mentioned things.
Curiosity set in and Twinkle stepped out to investigate the strange happenings. What to her wondering eyes should appear but a sight that set her little elf ears up and alert.
Master Malfoy and the new Missy were walking around the manor in the best of moods: talking and laughing together. She was adding new wallpaper and carpets and flowers and pictures and plants to the home.
It was awful.
They had dinner together in the kitchens and laughed over the Brut-the one Master Malfoy was saving for a most special occasion-and talking of Master Malfoy"s plans for travel.
This was not good at all for Twinkle.
Master Malfoy liked this new Missy. She would be staying for good and Master Malfoy would leave Twinkle all alone.
Something had to be done to stop Missy Corn Girl! If she continued on this way, Master Malfoy would leave the manor for good and who knew the kind of things Corn Girl would do in his absence?!
She had to employ the help of someone who would help Master Malfoy see reason. And so, she wrote to the one person who might inspire him to listen.
With the wine poured, and the table set and the conversation flowing, Lucius nearly spluttered at his young companion"s words.
«You mean to say, you"ve never been to a ball?»
Miss Lovegood sliced her beans slowly and popped one piece into her mouth. «Only a wedding, and a Christmas party with Professor Slughorn.»
That batty old crumpet, Lucius laughed to himself. He had thought it would be difficult to please Miss Lovegood and bring her back into good spirits but this one task had his work laid out for him as easily as dirt on a path.
«You"ve never once danced to the orchestra during a nice of pure and endless bliss? My, my, we are missing out!»
«I was far too young to attend the Yule Ball at Hogwarts,» she said, and sighed. «But I heard it was grand.»
«Oh certainly, but not as grand as the affairs in the Manor. Every New Year"s eve we"d have a masquerade and take down all the costumes and masks from the attic. Ah, and I would dress up like my great-great grandfather, a true legend!»
«The former Mrs Malfoy must have been good at organizing them.»
Lucius swallowed down a lump in his throat, the joyful bubble bursting in his chest. «She was. Good.»
«Sorry,» Miss Lovegood whispered.
Back in the days when she was healthier and in higher spirits, his late wife had organized charity events and fundraisers and hosted the yearly new years Malfoy Masquerade for all the members of the Pure-blood ton. One of many things she did well. Lucius looked at his young companion and gave an apologetic smile. Of course now that was not possible to host such exclusionary events in the public eye, but it did not mean that the amusement would end there.
«I would have loved to attend a ball,» Miss Lovegood whispered, flapping her eyelashes. «I had a great many dresses and designs I wanted to Charm on.»
«You create your very own dresses?» Lucius raised his brows. «Well of course, a brilliant young witch as yourself must.»
«Oh they"re nothing,» Miss Lovegood said, blushing.
«I am more than certain that is not true, and I might attest to the opposite.»
«You wouldn"t be interested-»
«-uninterested? Miss Lovegood I am all yours for the night,» Lucius said quickly.
«May I?» Jumping up, Miss Lovegood ran to the door and summoned over her large trunk to the table, propped it open and removed a great many sketchbooks. She held them close to her chest, letting her light hair locks drape over the pages before laying them out on the table in a slow and orderly manner but not before Lucius snatched one up and began to hungrily flip through the pages, eyes wide and a smile crossing his face.
There were dresses and suits and cravat and handkerchiefs and earrings and bracelets and shoes and stockings and hats and socks of every shade and colour of the rainbow. Color and shine and sparkle and matte and gloss.
«These are my ideas for the various pens for the creatures, and here...no, don"t look at that one-» she cried, flipping over a page before Lucius" eyes. «Those..»
«-are brilliant-» were the words that slipped from his mouth.
«-just sketches...what?» she stilled. «You like them?»
«Not like,» Lucius grinned. «love. I am enchanted. These-» he held up the lavender suit with the pastel yellow cravat, «No, this. This is perfect.»
Miss Lovegood bit her lip, her cheeks glowing a deep shade of blossom. «You like that?»
«Very much.» Lucius flipped the book to the page and stared at it with a gentle and lazy gaze. «But?»
«But it seems like something you wouldn"t wear.»
Lucius looked back at his dark robes. «It seems time for a change.»
Miss Lovegood grinned. «Lavander would look well with your hair and your eyes.»
Lucius nodded. «We have fabric up in the attic. I am sure, if you wanted to try...and...»
Miss Lovegood grinned. «You would wear one of my designs if I made it?»
«I would be honoured to,» said Lucius, still gripping the page with the dashing suit. He did love clothing, especially suits. It had been so long since he had dressed up. He used to don a new suit every day: for visits to the Ministry, for meetings with his business partners and affairs with the Dark Arts collectors. But all of those items he had locked far away in the attic after Narcissa"s passing. He simply had no reason to look so good.
«And if you would join me,» he said. «We could have our own masquerade here in the Manor once you are done with your renovations.»
Miss Lovegood gripped the hem of her dress. «Really?»
«Of course. I simply cannot leave without a grand goodbye.»
«Oh.» Miss Lovegood"s gaze blanked.
«But do not worry, I will be sure to make it a night worth remembering,» Lucius said reassuringly. «And of course, to make sure you think I haven"t forgotten, your little friends should be part of the festivities.»
«Pop and Pippin?» Miss Lovegood chirped. «You wish to make friends?»
«But of course. You know the tricks of taming the Nifflers.»
«Certainly.» She grinned. «You get some coins and silverwear and I"ll fetch Pop.»
And that was that.